State Dept & Private Corps Funding Stabilization Ops in Syria

Brookings Fellow William McCants, director of the Project on U.S. Relations (PUSR) with the Islamic World in the Saban Center for Middle East Policy (IWSCMEP) [to] examine the role that Gulf charities are playing in fostering sectarian tensions in Syria and then moderate a panel on the sectarian dimension of non-lethal assistance for Syria coming outside the Gulf. - See more at: http://www.occupycorporatism.com/state-dept-private-corps-funding-stabilization-ops-syria/#sthash.UZGbQQB

Occupy Corporatism
Susanne Posel

In 2012, the US State Department created the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) to assist “the Secretary [to] improve the effectiveness and coherence of the US government’s response to overseas crises.”

The CSO “advances U.S. national security by breaking cycles of violent conflict and mitigating crises in priority countries.”

This agency is empowered to “engage in conflict prevention, crisis response and stabilization, aiming to address the underlying causes of destabilizing violence.”

Through the CSO, the US government is able to:

• Have “rapid, locally-grounded conflict analysis in countries”
• Offer “data-driven products on diverse sources, including diplomatic and media reports, polling, local interviews and international expertise, to identify the most important dynamics fueling instability”
• Assist to “develop prioritized strategies that target the causes of instability and address high-risk periods such as elections or political transitions”
• Through strategic schemes, “amplify local initiatives that connect civil society partners, media, community leaders, technical experts, and under-represented groups like women and youth in coalitions that bridge social divides”
• Provide a “networks of experts from sources such as nonprofits, third-country nationals, international partners, think tanks, and state and local officials”
• “Mobilize resources and civilian response mechanisms for conflict prevention and response”
The recent 2013 CSO: One-Year Progress Report (CSOPR) claims that there are “cycles of violence through locally-grounded analysis and operational support in priority areas around the world”.
The imminent focus is to facilitate a “strengthening [of] the unarmed opposition”, the FSA, with the expressed purpose of:
• Building a mass communication network
• Train civilian leadership to ensure the governmental transition

Funding for this invasion by proxy of Syria is provided by the government of the US, Canada and the UK.

Included in this construction is the Office of Syrian Opposition (OSO) that creates networks of journalists, grassroots activists and administrators that “provides insights about events inside Syria, expands assistance networks, and identifies local leaders.”

In October of last year, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced that conducting stability operations is the crux and meaning of all military missions as defined by the Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG) which lays out the parameters of war, the use of fake revolutions in foreign nations, and the specification of those involved; including private security firms installed to ensure US interests.

James Schear, deputy assistant secretary of defense for partnership strategy and stability operations, explained that the DSG is explicitly directed at “building the security capacity of others.”

Stability operations are defined as “military operations in civilian environments, include many missions, among them peace operations, combating terrorism, counterdrug operations, population security and nation assistance.” However, they are also known as “crisis initiation” in that they are manufactured operations instilled in foreign nations to destabilize those current governments and replace them with a more US-friendly faction.

With regard to Syria, the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a lobby group who actively seek favorable policies directed toward the Free Syrian Army (FSA), have been exposed for using propaganda to sway the public regarding the proxy war “rebels”.

Indeed, Elizabeth O’Bagy, the political director of the US State Department, explained that funding for her operation comes from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), not the federal government.

O’Bagy said that the US State Department has been employing firms such as “ARK [Access Resources Knowledge], Chemonics, Creative [Associates International]—a number of the big contractors” set up the contracts and pay the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF).

The Brookings Institute (BI) hosted “a panel discussion exploring the politicization of non-lethal aid to Syria.

Brookings Fellow William McCants, director of the Project on U.S. Relations (PUSR) with the Islamic World in the Saban Center for Middle East Policy (IWSCMEP) [to] examine the role that Gulf charities are playing in fostering sectarian tensions in Syria and then moderate a panel on the sectarian dimension of non-lethal assistance for Syria coming outside the Gulf.